Teachers strike after bosses break their word

Teachers at Stem 6 academy in Islington, north London, struck today, Wednesday, after bosses reneged on an agreement to recognise their union.

The teachers are members of the NUT union. They are in dispute with management over contracts imposed on them last year that are effectively zero hours.

The union suspended a walkout planned for Thursday of last week after bosses said they would recognise the union. But after they went back on that agreement earlier this week, the union restarted its strike programme.

Ken Muller is assistant secretary of Islington NUT. He told Socialist Worker, “The strike was solid and teachers’ morale is high. They were really pleased that lots of trade unionists came to the picket line to show their support.

“Workers in other unions said a victory at Stem 6 would give a boost to their own struggles.”

The strike will continue tomorrow, and teachers plan a three-day walkout next week.

They have called on trade unionists and others to join them on the picket line tomorrow morning. And they plan to visit strikers at LondonMetropolitanUniversity, who will be out on strike over pay, later in the morning.

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